Chapter 551: White Light of Purification ( 551 )

After a while…

Javier let out a long, exaggerated yawn as he idly spun his mana gun.

“Buddy…”

“Cuquawked?” Buddy tilted his head, feathers fluffing slightly in the moonlight.

“This is starting to get boring.”

“Cuquawk.” The bird sounded just as unimpressed.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Javier raised his palm. His voice dropped, steady and commanding.

“Activate—White Light: Purify.”

A bright burst of white light exploded from him, spreading out in a perfect circle.

The trees shimmered. The corrupted ground groaned.

And all around him—the bad stuff evaporated.

No screams.

No fight.

Just silence… and clean purity.

The darkness didn’t stand a chance.

“Alright,” he said calmly, hopping down from Buddy’s saddle.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a silver crystal device, etched with Armand symbols. Kneeling, he pressed it into the ground.

With a faint hum, the device powered up—sending out a pulse of steady mana that merged with the clean zone.

“This will stop those creeps from coming back to life in this area.”

Javier stood up, brushing dust off his gloves.

“Well, it’s night now, Buddy…” Javier stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders with a lazy sigh. “Do you think you can keep walking while I sleep on your back?”

“Cuquawked!!” Buddy squawked angrily, shaking his head and stomping his foot.

“Eh? Come on… we’re friends, right?”

“Cuquawked!!” (Still no!!)

Javier leaned forward, putting a hand dramatically on Buddy’s neck. “Ugh… I’ll treat you to that special wyvern meat you like.”

Buddy froze, eyes slowly turning to Javier.

“…Cuquawk.” (Go on.)

Javier grinned. “Three slices.”

“Cuquawk.” (Four.)

“Four slices and half a roasted fire lizard.”

“Cuquawked!” (Deal!!)

With a smug smile, Javier climbed back onto Buddy’s back and immediately leaned against the saddle, arms crossed behind his head.

“Good bird.”

“Cuquawk.” Buddy strutted ahead proudly, tail feathers flicking like he owned the road.

Behind them, the clean zone shimmered softly in the moonlight.

Meanwhile, in the Dwarven Kingdom…

At the third stronghold, the air was heavy with exhaustion.

Dwarves moved slowly along narrow paths between rough tents.

Their armor jingled softly as they walked, their steps tired.

Their eyes were hollow and sunken.

The fire pits spat out more smoke than warmth.

A small group sat close to their leader, holding tiny pieces of dry food that barely counted as a proper meal.

“Leader…” one of them whispered.

The bearded dwarf turned slowly. He already knew what they were about to ask.

“I know what you want to say.”

“We’re still hungry…” a younger dwarf muttered, voice shaking.

“I know.” The leader answered firmly but with tired weight. “I’m hungry too.”

A silence settled over them.

One soldier stared out toward the horizon blankly. “When will this war end?”

The leader closed his eyes for a moment, then simply said,

“I don’t know…”

There was no false hope. No inspiring speech—just tired, honest truth.

“I was hoping…” the leader whispered, gazing at the fading glow of a dying campfire, “…that this war would end.”

“I hope so too…” a dwarf replied softly.

They stood silent for a moment, only the crackle of burning wood filling the quiet.

But then, the leader’s voice grew a little stronger, sharper.

“…We can’t give up now. We can’t surrender. If we do… more people will suffer. Our families. Our kin.”

He clenched his fist.

“These Halflings and the Human Kingdom… they’re the ones pushing us into this. They’re not just fighting us—they want everything. If we fall…”

“Everyone falls.” someone finished grimly.

“We know, leader…” another said. “But still…”

The youngest dwarf hugged his knees, eyes shining in the firelight. “I just hope… we can get a proper meal one day. Something fresh. Real meat… not dry, burnt meat.”

“Yeah… grill it, and dip it with… what’s it called again?”

“What?”

“A special sauce… from Armand Region?”

“Yeah! That one! What’s it called?”

“Soy sauce?”

“YEAH! THAT ONE!!” the hungry dwarf suddenly lit up, eyes shining.

He stared into the fire, dreaming. “Ahhh~ Just imagine it… grilling the meat… the fat sizzling… that amazing smell filling the air…”

“The meat hisses…” another dwarf added, leaning closer.

“And then… you dip it gently into that dark, rich sauce…”

“Aumm~” they all said together, practically drooling.

The fire crackled. Their stomachs growled loudly.

For a moment… they forgot about the war.

All they could see was meat, fire, and that delicious soy sauce.

“If there was no war…” one soldier muttered with a wistful smile, “I’d be heading to Armand right now.”

The others looked at him, curious.

“I used to be a traveling merchant, you know? I’d go between dwarven towns, then down to the Beastkin Kingdom… buy some things, sell some things… and then go to Armand.”

He leaned back, dreaming. “Then from Armand, I’d go to the Demon Kingdom… just to see those beauties there—woo~”

A few of the others chuckled.

“And then, I’d slowly come back here. Selling bottles of soy sauce from Armand for ten times what I paid.”

“Making good money,” another nodded with a grin.

“Yeah.”

They all looked back at the fire again.

“…Let’s hope a miracle happens,” someone finally said.

“And this war ends.”

“Yeah…” the others murmured softly.

“Let’s hope this war ends,” one of them muttered quietly, hope in his voice. “So we can go back to our work.”

“Yeah!” another dwarf stood up, fist clenched. “I miss hammering and melting ore… feeling the heat… forging weapons and armor—things I love too much to give up!”

“Me too!” a dwarf with a thick beard nodded. “I want to go fishing again. Catch a big one and show it off to the neighbors!”

“Heh, me too,” said another. “I miss chopping wood… slow carving… making fine furniture. Selling them to Armand merchants at a good price.”

“Yeah!!” someone else cheered, eyes shining. “Beastkin peddlers always buy our goods, right? Then sell them all the way to Armand, the Demon Kingdom, and even the Elven Kingdom!”

“You’re right, man!” another grinned. “And I can’t wait to get back to my stonework. My chisel’s been lonely!”

The fire burned steadily now, not just warming their bodies—but also reigniting hope in their hearts.

They were tired, hungry… but still dwarves.

Still standing. Still dreaming.

( End Of Chapter )

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